4. Letter to the Commissioner from
Mr Michael Barnbrook, 2 July 2009
Thank you for your letter dated 30th June, 2009,
in which you have asked me to supply the evidence on which I rely
in connection with my complaint against Ms Nadine Dorries and
an explanation of how I believe that she has breached the rules
of the House.
I owe you an apology for suggesting in my letter
dated 26th June, 2009 that I was in possession of evidence to
substantiate my complaint against Ms Dorries by saying "I
have not submitted evidence".
What I should have said was that there was no need
for further evidence as Ms Dorries was admitting to breaching
the rules in relation to the second homes allowance.
She is quoted in the Daily
Telegraph as saying that she only spent
spare weekends and holidays AWAY
from her designated second home.
The rules state that the principal home is where
a Member spends more nights a week than any other.
By her own statement she is suggesting that she spends
most of her time at her designated second home, which under the
Commons rules would make it her principal home.
I would also remind you of your comments in the Fourteenth
Report of 2007-08, relating to your investigation of Ed Balls,
MP and Yvette Cooper, MP, paragraph 78, where you said, "If
a Member has his or her family living permanently in their constituency
home then it would clearly seem to be a matter of fact that the
Member's main home is in the constituency."[217]
Ms Dorries is quoted in the Daily
Telegraph as saying that her youngest
daughter and pet dogs live at her second home.
By your own submission that would make it her principal
home.
Taking into account the above comments, together
with the admissions made by Ms Dorries, I would suggest that there
is sufficient evidence to instigate at least a preliminary investigation
into my complaint.
Once again, forgive me for the ambiguous statement
made in my first letter and I thank you for your attention to
this matter.
2 July 2009
217 Committee on Standards and Privileges, Fourteenth
Report of Session 2007-08, Conduct of Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper,
HC 1044. The full paragraph is reproduced in WE 5. Back
| 
